Troubleshooting Community Compares Wearable Fitness Bands

Consumer Q&A and trouble-shooting website Fixya.com released a report that collected data about five fitness bands currently on the market and what issues users were having with the devices. The Fixya community is comprised of more than 30 million people. For this report Fixya compiled data over months of use cases and feedback on its website.

Fixya’s report also includes the most common problems people have with their band. The percentage is that of troubleshooting requests that fall into each problem category:

Top 5 Fitbit Flex Issues:

1. Lack of Altimeter – 25%

2. Inefficient Data – 25%

3. Proprietary Charger – 20%

4. Simple LED Display – 15%

5. Other – 15%

Top 5 Nike+ FuelBand Issues:

1. Inefficient Data – 25%

2. No Manual Data Entry – 20%

3. No Sleep Features – 20%

4. Water-Resistant, Not Waterproof – 20%

5. Other –15%

Top 5 Jawbone UP Issues:

1. Inconsistent Battery Life – 40%

2. Requires Replacement – 20%

3. Syncing Issues – 15%

4. Proprietary Charger – 15%

5. Other – 10%

Top 5 Basis B1 Issues:

1. Heart Rate Data When Exercising – 25%

2. Wrist Discomfort – 20%

3. No Food Entry System – 20%

4. No Wake Up Alarm – 20%

5. Other – 15%

Top 5 BodyMedia FIT LINK Issues:

1. Data Subscription – 30%

2. Water-Resistant, Not Waterproof – 25%

3. Hard to Sleep with – 20%

4. Slightly Uncomfortable Around Arm – 15%

5. Other – 10%

Finally, Fixya gave each band an “award” based on its strengths or lack-of. Here are the Fixya awards:

· Best Overall: Basis B1

· Best for Beginners: Fitbit Flex

· Best Online Community: Nike+ FuelBand

· Most Comprehensive Data: BodyMedia FIT LINK

· Most Frustrating: Jawbone UP

The report also contains crowd-sourced solutions for the most common problems with each device, as well as overall trends.